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Weapons of Legacy

Weapons of LegacyBy Keith Baker

is installment ofEberron Expandedfocuses on adapting the material from Weapons of Legacyfor use in a

berron campaign. Weapons of Legacyintroduces legacy items -- magic items with the potential to rival art

power, though not all of that potential is available to the user right away. Instead, the power of the item gro

th that of the possessor. Furthermore, only those who uncover the history of the item and perform rites an

uals to honor its legacy can uncover and use its greatest powers.

pically, only the greatest powers of Eberron -- such as the dragons of Argonnessen, the giants of Xen'drik

e fallen rajahs of the Age of Demons -- can produce artifacts. However, a legacy item could emerge from a

urce, empowered by the history it has helped to create. For example, Malleon the Reaver bathed the shor

horvaire in goblin blood, and his axe Redwave still harbors the shadow of his hatred within it. The Crown o

alifar, missing now for almost a century, is an item of great power, but only wearer who has proven her

orthiness to rule can harness its true potential.

addition to these random items plucked from the hands of history's heroes, two particular cultures are high

propriate as sources for legacy items: the Dhakaani Empire and the Tairnadal elves.

he Empire of Dhakaan

e Dhakaani goblinoids ruled Khorvaire for seven thousand years before the Xoriat incursion shattered the

oud civilization they had built. This goblin nation devoted itself to the art of war -- both its practice and its tod its armorers and weaponsmiths were among the finest the world has ever seen. The Dhakaani worshipe

ds; rather, they revered the empire itself, recounting the deeds and history of the great heroes who define

r all to hear.

ken together, these facts present a compelling case for a strong tradition of legacy items among the Dhak

harged with the history of the empire -- the conquest of Khorvaire, the wars with elves and demons, and th

al, disastrous conflict with the daelkyr -- these weapons were made for goblin hands, though they could se

y noble warrior equally well. Today, the Heirs of Dhakaan -- the clans that went into hiding as the great

blinoid empire began to crumble -- are searching for these ancient relics, which could aid them substantia

-establishing their former glory.

ost Dhakaani legacy items probably lie amid the ruins of the empire, though a fair number could also be bu

ancient battlefields. Since the Dhakaani have an austere culture devoted primarily to war, most of their leg

ms are likely to be arms or armor, though instruments of the duur'kala bards or regalia worn by great gene

emperors would also be appropriate.

e legacy rituals for these items should be tied to war and might range from performing a small act of coura

playing a decisive role as the architect of a battle. When designing a ritual, keep in mind that the Dhakaan

ere not simple warmongers. One of the cornerstones of their culture was the premise that the strong (bugb

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Weapons of Legacy

d hobgoblins) must protect the weak (goblins), so a weapon or shield might require a sacrifice in keeping

s philosophy.

ach Dhakaani legacy item is a piece of goblin history that the goblins want back, so carrying one presents

nger to any nongoblinoid character. A typical city goblin or soldier of the Ghaal'duur might not recognize th

m, but the Heirs of Dhakaan would certainly be offended by an outsider who presumed to steal one of the

mpire's great treasures and wield it as his own. A character who works with the Heirs of Dhakaan might

entually earn enough respect to be considered an honorary goblin -- and thus a worthy bearer of the legac

m -- but considerable bloodshed is likely to occur first.

hakanni Legacy Items

th a few changes, the following specific items from Weapons of

gacycould be appropriate for the Dhakaani. The Eberron history of

ch item is given first, followed by a bulleted list of changes needed to

apt it. If no such list is given, the item's powers remain the same.

endkiller's Flail

is weapon was originally forged to battle the Lords of Dust. Later, the

miths enhanced its power when the legions of Xoriat invaded.

q Add byeshk to the weapon's scourge of fiends ability.

q Change sense fiends to detect evil outsiders with the native

subtype, extraplanar creatures from Xoriat, or aberrations.

uurgal

nce the orcs of Eberron do not have the same militant tradition as the goblinoids do, Guurgal was not the

eapon of an orcish horde. Rather, it was wielded by one of the first emperors, who put out his own eye in a

splay of courage and resolve.

q Change all orc and half-orc references to goblinoid.

q The ritual for the lesser legacy involves communing with the spirits of the ancient emperors rather tha

Gruumsh.

q The greater legacy ritual requires seeking out the shade of Emperor Bruug Dhakaan, which has bee

trapped in the Lair of the Keeper.

kull Lash

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Weapons of Legacy

e Skull Lash predates the empire. Despite its disturbing

pearance, it was often borne by the emperor or the wisest of the

ur'kala, who used its abilities to gain insight.

argird's Armor

uilt for a Dhakaani officer, this armor bonded with the spirit of an

c berserker from the Shadow Marches who was slain during one

the empire's efforts to create a buffer zone on its western border.

her Options

e above items are just a few examples of weapons from the book that can relate to the Dhakanni Empire,

any other items could easily be adapted as well. In particular, since chain weapons are common among th

hakaani, a spiked chain would make an excellent weapon of legacy. Alternatively, an existing weapon from

ok could be converted to a spiked chain.

he Tairnadal

e warrior culture of the Tairnadal elves gave birth to the nation of Valenar. Every Tairnadal devotes himse

e memory of a particular ancestor and seeks to honor and emulate that person's great deeds throughout h

wn life.

uch a culture is a perfect match for the items in Weapons of Legacy. Any elf who can reclaim a treasured

ssession of an ancient elf hero is certain to devote himself to mastering its history and its power.

nce the Tairnadal are accomplished archers, riders, and masters of stealth and guerrilla warfare, any weap

items tied to these functions could be especially appropriate for a Tairnadal legacy. But although the Tairnve a martial culture, they also respect the role that arcane magic can play in battle, and they are fond of

corative clothing and jewelry. Thus, almost any item could qualify as a Tairnadal legacy item.

desired, you could restrict the use of elven items of legacy to elf champions. Since the bearer is drawing o

emory of the heroic elf who first used the item, it may not respond to people of other races. However, a hu

other creature might someday be able to earn the respect of the ancient spirit, and thus the right to carry o

e legacy.

arinadal Legacy Items

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Weapons of Legacy

hile any legacy weapon can be adapted to the Tairnadal with a few adjustments, a few of the

ms mentioned in Weapons of Legacyare especially well suited to the history of the elves.

one of these items require changes to their powers -- only to their histories.

ow of the Black Archer

any drow served the giants in the ancient Xen'drik uprising, using the powers of darkness to

ttle their cousins. In Eberron, Shevarash did not become a god, but he was a legendary

cher who slew hundreds of drow. In fact, many say it was his wrath that struck downalderion.

esert Wind

is item was the tool of a great elf prince in the dry regions of Xen'drik -- one of the first

ovinces to stand against the giants. Desert Windwas lost when the Tairnadal first came to

e Blade Desert ten thousand years ago, and the Valenar are still combing the land for any

gn of it.

alker's Bow

e elf huntress Failine acquired this weapon from a drow assassin, who used it to prey on elf rebels. After

aching Aerenal, however, the bow quickly disappeared. Rumor holds that the Stalker's Bowis now in the

nds of House Thuranni, but wherever it is, the Tairnadal descendents of Failine would like it back.

her Options

addition to the above choices, a few objects unique to the Tairnadal culture would make excellent legacy

ms. You can adapt items from the book to use these forms, or simply build new ones.

alenar Double Scimitar: The history of this weapon (described on page 119 of the Eberron Campaign

etting) dates back to Xen'drik, and Tairnadal warriors take great pride in their skill with it.

aelshin: The zaelshin, or spirit bond, is an amulet bearing the sigil of a Tairnadal elf's patron ancestor. The

elshin tu is a similar brooch that holds an actual physical relic of the ancestor -- usually a sliver of bone or

oth. A zaelshin tu makes an excellent legacy item, but only an elf with a bond to the item's particular patron

cestor should be able to unlock its powers.

aelta: The zaelta, or spirit mask, is a veil that covers the lower face. It is intended to help the wearer submes identity in that of his ancestor. A zaelta that once served as a shroud for the ancestor could easily hold a

werful legacy.

egacy Feats and Legacy Champions

members of the cultures with the longest histories, Dhakaani goblins and Tairnadal elves are the logical

oices for legacy champions, and they probably developed most, if not all, of the legacy feats. However,

embers of other cultures could certainly learn the same skills through contact with those civilizations. For

ample, a member of the Wayfinder Foundation who has lived among the Dhakaani might have studied the

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Weapons of Legacy

dition of the legacy guardian and then applied it to his own weapon, Bloodwave.

ounding a Legacy

the Eberron Campaign Setting, the player characters are supposed to be the greatest heroes of the age -

least, they have the potential to become such. Thus, it is entirely appropriate for their deeds to create new

gacies, which may be passed down into future generations. Legacy creation is especially appropriate for

roes who are facing the greatest villains of Eberron. The blade that strikes down a daelkyr lord, the shield

ands against Erandis d'Vol, the hammer that shatters the sword wielded by the Lord of Blades -- these arems that give birth to legends.

arforged as Legacy Items

berron allows one intriguing option not found in other settings: the warforged. The body of a warforged can

hanced just as if it were a suit of magic armor. A warforged character who becomes a legacy item may ha

en created for some secret purpose he knows nothing about. Infused with power by Onatar and the Drago

bove, he must bide his time until his true destiny is revealed.

owing warforged to become legacy items is an option that a DM must carefully consider before allowing it

r campaign. After all, a legacy cannot easily be taken away or destroyed, but it could certainly make

counters with the Lord of Blades more interesting!

onsters of Legacy

e concept of monsters of legacy is highly appropriate for Eberron. Kazdurakashtan is a dragon -- a Cham

server who was hidden in Cyre when the Mourning struck, and was twisted into a far more terrible creatur

elashyrra, the Lord of Eyes, is one of the most terrifying of the daelkyr. The Children of Winter tell tales of

oldfang, a dire serpent infused with the raw power of the Gloaming. And tales of the night hag Sora Kell haen used to terrify children since humans first came to Khorvaire. These creatures are the most obvious

onsters of legacy, but many other legendary creatures could also be lurking in the shadows of Eberron, jus

aiting for new heroes to emerge!

ther Weapons of Legacy

e Tairnadal and Dhakaani sections above mention only a few specific items from Weapons of Legacy, bu

nslating any object presented in the book into one suitable for your Eberron campaign is a simple matter.

ample, Infiltratorcould be tied into the split between House Phiarlan and House Thuranni, or even an elve

trayal dating back to Xen'drik. Mau-Jehe could have been forged by the first kalashtar, and the Simple Bould have its roots in the monasteries of Adar. Full Moon's Trick, a remnant of one of the fallen innocents o

canthropic Purge, might be hidden among the shifters of the Eldeen Reaches. Dymondheartcould have b

nded down from Gatekeeper to Gatekeeper, while Treebrothermight actually be a shaft cut from the Grea

uid Oalian himself. Just use your imagination!

bout the Author

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Weapons of Legacy

eith Baker has been an avid fan of the Dungeons & Dragons game since grade school. His life took a

amatic turn in 2002 when he submitted the World of Eberron to the Wizards of the Coast Fantasy Setting

earch. In addition to developing the Eberron Campaign Settingand Shadows of the Last Warfor Wizards

e Coast, Inc., he has produced material for Atlas Games, Goodman Games, and Green Ronin.

1995-2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wizards isheadquartered in Renton, Washington, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057.

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